Bombay High Court declines interim relief on Kunbi caste certificates for Marathas

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday (October 7, 2025) refused to stay the Maharashtra government’s decision to issue Kunbi caste certificates to members of the Maratha community who can establish their Other Backward Classes (OBC) lineage.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad was hearing a batch of petitions filed by representatives of various OBC groups, including Kunbi Sena and Maharashtra Mali Samaj Mahasangh.

The petitioners argued that the government’s move could lead to the inclusion of Marathas in the OBC category, thereby affecting existing reservation entitlements.

The petitioners sought interim relief, including a stay on the implementation of the September 2 Government Resolution (GR), which allows eligible Maratha individuals to obtain Kunbi caste certificates based on historical documentation such as entries in the Hyderabad gazetteer.

Declining to grant interim relief, the Bench observed that it would not comment on the merits of the case at this stage and directed the State to file its response within four weeks.

“We are not inclined to elaborate on the issues raised by the petitioners at this stage and hence decline to grant any interim relief,” the Bench said.

Representing the State, advocate general Birendra Saraf opposed the petitions, arguing that the petitioners were not directly affected by the GR and therefore lacked the locus standi to challenge it.

The GR was issued following a five-day protest by Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange at Azad Maidan, demanding recognition of Kunbi ancestry among Marathas to facilitate their inclusion in the OBC category.

The petitioners contended that the resolution was vague, arbitrary, and unconstitutional. They warned that the move could create administrative confusion by altering the criteria for caste certification for Kunbi, Kunbi Maratha, and Maratha Kunbi groups.